Current system puts at risk political pluralism in the country, they say
TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, Aug. 3 – Albania’s small parties have never liked the current electoral law, which they say is designed to keep them out of parliament.
Now small political parties from the entire political system have joined forces to pressure and lobby the two major parties the Democrats and Socialists to change the electoral code.
The smaller parties are already coordinating plans on how to approach this common goal when dealing with the two large parties, the ruling Democrats and the Socialist Party, the largest opposition party.
Leaders of the smaller parties are trying to act before the parliamentary and political season starts in early September, by outlining the portions of the current electoral code they say should be changed.
The current code is essentially a regional proportional system, and only encourages SP-DP domination, damaging all other parties, which can’t even meet the parliament’s threshold. This system, they say, puts at risk the political pluralism in the country.
But some analysts argue that some small parties have benefited from the current electoral code, because they have become major factors because of it.
Others say it’s too early to judge whether the current system of regional proportionality is successful or failed.
The biggest problem with the system is that the lists of those running for parliament are closed and is compiled by the heads of parties, which hampers democratic values and independent thinking, they say.
